The Mocha Club Blog

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You might remember this recent blog update about Providing Food for our HIV+ Friends in Kenya. We’re happy to report that the director of this work in Kenya, Peter Odero, has another update on a recent workshop on micro-lending for people in HIV/AIDS support groups within the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

Remember, *micro-lending* is helping people develop their own businesses through a mini-loan program.

_From Peter Odero…_

We owe all this due to the support we have so far received from African Leadership through your positive response! Thank you for everything!

*Follow-up Meetings:*

At the end of the five-day training workshop the trainees immediately resolved to unite themselves for a weekly follow-up meeting to help monitor and evaluate their attitude, practice and commitment towards the proposed micro-lending project.

*Group-Leadership:*

Members of this new group have conducted an election among themselves and came up with group leaders who will help in leading group activities on a regular basis.

*Challenges:*
The following are some of the challenges facing our organization at the moment:

• Need for continuous counseling of the HIV/AIDS affected families.
• Need for support to the HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.
• Need for regular Health and Nutrition Education to the PLWHA and Home Based Care Givers.
• Need for appropriate office space and meeting centre.

*Achievements:*

We have realized tremendous achievements in the following areas:

• Reduction of stigma and discrimination.
• Increased awareness of individuals’ own vulnerability through education and training seminars.
• Increased participation in HIV/AIDS activities by the community members.
• Increased support from the local community.
• Increased establishment of more HIV/AIDS group chapters within the community.

On *July 31, 2006*, there will be a meeting to include all the 170 family households that benefited from food distribution with funds donated by African leadership. We also wish to extend the same invitation to a few Church leaders, Community leaders and Local Administration officers who greatly supported us during the food distribution occasions.

We shall continue to encourage our members to exhibit compassion that reflects the character of Christ. We are aware of the power of prayer against the forces of darkness, hence encourage all our members to be involved in intense prayers, compassion and service.

With kind regards.

Thank you.

Peter G. Odero

HEKO (Heritage Kenya Organization)

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Dear faithful Mocha Club friends,

We wanted to introduce all of you to a new project we’re supporting in the town of *Victoria Falls*, which is on the border of *Zimbabwe* and *Zambia*.

You might have heard of Victoria Falls, which is one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World.” Who would have known that a place holding one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions would be in between two countries where *25%* (Zimbabwe) and *20%* (Zambia) of the population is living with AIDS?

Through the generous support of those of you in our HIV/AIDS clubs, we’ve been able to start *Income-Generating Projects (”IGP’s”)* for volunteer home-based healthcare workers who are HIV-positive. These healthcare workers are not paid, because there are so few jobs in Victoria Falls. In America, we usually get a paying job first before we started volunteering, right? But there, it is the opposite. These HIV-positive healthcare workers are working for no wages, in the homes of others who are also HIV-positive.

_So, how will these people make a living?_

As a solution, we decided to create *Income-Generating Projects* for these volunteer healthcare workers so they can be empowered to generate income for themselves and their families. As we’re helping them generate income, these people will be freed up to serve even more vigorously. All of these healthcare workers are doing these new IGP’s together.

The following update about these projects is from our trusted national leader for Zimbabwe and director of all of Southern Africa, *Agrippa Dube*.

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Dear faithful supporters,

God is good all the time. Finally we have made our dream come true in Victoria Falls. As we met with Vic Falls Project Committee in May to present money for the income-generating projects [IGPs], the men responded with these words: _”We have seen many organizations and individuals coming here to take photos, and promises are made but nothing had come of it. This is the most practical ministry we have ever seen. We did not promise our groups in fear of what had happened before. Now let us go and call the projects people and tell them the miracle that has happened.”_

As we approached the groups at their homes they could not believe their eyes. The money had come and they were to be helped. They was joy and jubilee as they sang and danced and some even broke in tears saying, _”Is there any one who can think of us! Who are we to be visited by the Lord this way!”_ I wished you were there to testify of that for yourselves.

All the project members received a week-long financial training so they could learn how to effectively run their projects in God’s way. This was successful and helpful to those people who did not have any knowledge of what they were doing.

We have disbursed funds to the following projects:

*ZENZELE SUPPORT GROUP* (10 members)
These we gave funds for a vegetable market venture. Their job is to order vegetables from farms at around Nyamandlovu and then wholesale these to vegetable market stand owners at the Chinotimba market.

*SIYAZANA KITCHEN* (10 members)
These people sell meals and lacked capital to boost their stock(to buy bulk) as a means of improving their cash flow and profitability. We allocated them funds to buy a beast for meat and also to buy more mealie-meal being their major raw materials.

*N.M.M. WIDOWS PROJECT* (3 families)
These widows have passports. They needed a cash start to engage in cross border trade. Their method of operation is that they source orders for their goods before going down South to buy the items. South African goods and gadgets are on demand here. We allocated them funds for their project.

*SIYAZAMA POULTRY PROJECT* ( 3 families)

These are ladies that are engaged in rearing chickens. Chickens find a ready market at lodges, hotels and indeed individual homes. We allocated them funds to being working capital as they already have the infra-structure to build their business.

We are monitoring progress of these before bringing other projects on board. At the moment we inundated with requests for financial assistance from many people in our town. Thank you so much for your generous support in helping these people.

Agrippa